Behemoth
The Behemoth is an enemy in the Castlevania series. It is a great beast of biblical origins. It is usually portrayed as a half rotting giant bull-like creature. Origins The Behemoth is a beast mentioned in the Book of Job 40:15-24, where it is referred to as the largest living thing in existence and also implied to be aquatic. Suggested identities range from a mythological creature to an elephant, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, or buffalo. Some creationists believe it to be a description of a sauropod, due to its tail being described as like a "cedar tree". The name "Behemoth" also comes from the same root word as "Bahamut". Metaphorically, the name has come to be used for any extremely large or powerful entity. Appearances ''Castlevania: Rondo of Blood First appearance of the Behemoth in the series. Its glowing eyes can barely be seen approaching in the background the moment the player crosses the drawbridge and enters the castle at the end of the first section of the Entrance stage. Shortly afterward, the Behemoth breaks into the building through a wall and starts rushing at the player. Since it's more likely that Maria has not been rescued yet, this chasing scene can prove to be rather difficult for Richter. If the player cannot kill the Behemoth but manages to make it to the next section of the stage, the creature will ram into a wall and die. The reanimated carcass of the Behemoth returns once again as part of Shaft Ghost's fight at the end of the Clock Tower. Castlevania: Bloodlines The Behemoth appears in early prototype versions of the game. Its size was drastically reduced and its horns now point backward, although it still loses skin and flesh as it receives damage, like it did in previous incarnations, and it also charges at the player. However, it was replaced for the Cerberus in the final version of the game. Castlevania: Dracula X A graphically enhanced reenactment from its appearance in ''Rondo of Blood; the Behemoth chases after Richter in the very first level of the game. Because it doesn't drop anything after being defeated, the best strategy is just to run away and it will die by falling into a chasm at the end of that section of the stage. ''Castlevania: Symphony of the Night A corpse of a Behemoth (probably the same one Richter avoided in ''Rondo of Blood) can be seen in the Colosseum; however, it only appears as a scenario ornament and nothing more. ''Castlevania'' (N64) One of the major boss battles in the game. The body of the Behemoth (called "Mammoth Bull Demon" in this game) is first found presumably dead in a large arena at the Castle Center. Once the player activates the big crystal revealed after exploding the previously sealed wall, the Behemoth will come back to life (possibly making it an undead creature). This appearance is so far the first time the Behemoth has shown its real power in the series other than just chasing the player. It shoots a huge laser beam from the eye inside its mouth, causing a great nuclear-like explosion. It also rushes at the player, finishing with a heave that throws them far away. It's worth mentioning that the more hits it takes, the more skin, muscle tissue, and bones it loses; so depending on how the player fights it, the creature will have a different appearance. Also, if the player manages to take down its legs, it will collapse and start roaring in pain, no longer being able to move or attack, thus awarding the victory in the player's favor as all they have to do then is finish it off. ''Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness Same appearance as in the previous game, only its name has been changed simply to "'Bull'" and its HP slightly reduced. ''Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance A carcass of a Behemoth can be found in the Skeleton Cave. Similar to the one in ''Symphony of the Night, it only appears as an ornament to the level. ''Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin In ''Portrait of Ruin, this is an early undead boss the player must first flee from and later come back to fight. The Behemoth resembles a giant bull who's hind quarters have been torn off. During its introductory scene, the heroes must run ahead of the creature, smashing pillars along the way to be able to escape the charging monster. The beast will continue on its path, smashing through walls and leaving rubble behind, leaving the heroes with no means to give further pursuit. After obtaining the Acrobat Cube in the City of Haze, Jonathan and Charlotte will have the means necessary to catch up with the beast. The item will allow them to climb a ledge that was previously out of reach and arrive to what looks like a coliseum, where they must fight and kill the Behemoth. It's a fairly straightforward fight, but since the heroes will most likely not be at a high level and not yet have more powerful weaponry, it may prove to be a challenging battle. ''Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles In ''The Dracula X Chronicles, the Behemoth appears on the second stage. It could be considered to be a mid-boss who stalks the player until they reach a large wall after passing through the entrance of the castle. It takes a considerable amount of effort to kill it, as it dies in 12 hits. One trick is to gather at least 40 Hearts (most likely carried over from the previous level) and use the Holy Water's item crash, Hydro Storm, to defeat it. Once beaten, the Behemoth will leave behind a Sound Item. Item Data Gallery Artworks RoB Behemoth.JPG|'Behemoths artwork from the Japanese ''Rondo of Blood instruction booklet Behemoth - 02.png|'Behemoths artwork from an issue of PC Engine Fan (July, 1993) Por 4koma 10.jpg|'Behemoth''' in the official Koma comic strips for Portrait of Ruin Eng DXC 4kom 03 edit.jpg|'Behemoth' in the official Koma comic strips for The Dracula X Chronicles Screenshots Rondo of Blood - Hydro Storm - 01.png|'Behemoth' from Rondo of Blood Early hellhound.PNG|The Behemoth in an early prototype of Castlevania: Bloodlines. It was eventually replaced by the Cerberus in the final version of the game. Dracula X - Behemoth - 01.png|The Behemoth pursuing villagers in Dracula X SoN-Behemoth.png|The Behemoth's remains in Symphony of the Night Harmony of Dissonance - Behemoth - 01.jpg|The Behemoth's remains in Harmony of Dissonance Portrait of Ruin - Entrance - 04.png|'Behemoth' from Portrait of Ruin Portrait of Ruin - Entrance - 13.png|'Behemoth' from Portrait of Ruin Screen-temp7.jpg|'Behemoth' from The Dracula X Chronicles Dracula X Chronicles - Hydro Storm - 01.png|'Behemoth' from The Dracula X Chronicles Behemoth GoS.png|'Behemoth' in Grimoire of Souls Trivia *In Castlevania 64, the Behemoth has 340 HP, which makes it have the most health out of any boss in the game. Only Dracula surpasses it with the combined HP of his two forms (his first form has 160 HP and his second form has 200 HP for a total of 360 HP). *A preliminary version of the Behemoth appears in the November 1993 prototype of Castlevania: Bloodlines. It was intended to be the game's first miniboss before being replaced by the Cerberus in the final release. External links *Konami of Europe's Mammoth Bull Demon profile (Internet Archive) Category:Biblical Monsters Category:Dictionnaire Infernal Demons Category:Castlevania 64 Bosses Category:Dracula X Chronicles Bosses Category:Dracula X Chronicles Enemies Category:Dracula X Enemies Category:Grimoire of Souls Enemies Category:Legacy of Darkness Bosses Category:Rondo of Blood Bosses Category:Rondo of Blood Enemies Category:Portrait of Ruin Bosses Category:Animal-Type Enemies